Strike Me Down
by Arani92
Summary: Jasper Cullen is a drug using, chain smoking alcoholic, with some very dark secrets. When he is forced to be tutored by straight A student Bella Swan, can she get past her initial disdain and help him? Or will he accidently drag her into his world?
1. Chapter 1

I took another long puff of my cigarette, deeply inhaling the thick delicious smoke. I coughed a few times, but kept on puffing. It was starting to rain harder outside. I got up from my bed and stuck my head out the window. The last thing I wanted my parents to find out was that I was smoking again. Well…I never actually quit in the first place. I just told my parents and family that I was getting help, and that I stopped. Hell, at least they understood why I was chewing gum all the time. I finished the cigarette, and ground it out between my fingers. I hissed a bit in pleasure at the pain it caused. After the tip was fully out, I flicked the now spent butt onto the ground beneath my window. That bush down there was just covered with cigarettes. Good thing my parents never did any yard work anymore. Granted, it seems like they didn't do any work at all around the house anymore. It was always up to me, or my brother Emmett. I sighed in relief as I felt the nicotine course through my lungs, and rushed up to my brain. I flopped down on my bed, and popped in a CD, turning the volume of my stereo on high.

Laying down on my back, I lit another cigarette, and took another beer from my secret mini-fridge. That was probably the seventh beer that I had had, and it was starting to go to my head. I quickly downed it and started in on another one. Jesus Christ why was my life always so fucked up? Edward was off at the library studying, cause he was the good little student. I had always been the fuck up of the family. I knew I disappointed my parents. Hell, I probably disappointed them the moment I came out of my mom's fucking womb. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes as I thought of my mother. _Stop it right now. Jasper Cullen doesn't cry. _I quickly wiped the silly drops of salt water out of my eyes and took another swig of my eighth beer. I finished my sixth cigarette of the day, and I started to hack up a lung. I looked at my pack of cigarettes, and threw the remaining ones in the trash. I had sincerely tried to quit, but I was so strongly addicted to the nicotine that it wasn't easy.

I crumpled the now empty beer can in my hand and threw it on the floor with all of the other ones. I got up from my bed, and stumbled my way to the bathroom. I was getting real dizzy real fast. I splashed some cold water on my face, and popped in a few pieces of spearmint gum. I made my way back to my bed, and sunk down into the soft mattress. I was wasted, and I knew it. The only thing left for me to do was to get stoned. I reached under my mattress and pulled out a needle that was already filled with heroin. I idly fingered the point of the needle. I was already wasted. Did I really want to add heroin to the mix? I had been clean for three years now. Did I really want to go back? Back to the vomiting, to the cold spells, and all of the other withdrawal symptoms? But life was so shitty for me right now that maybe this time I could slowly kill myself and no one would interfere like last time. I sighed, and decided that for now, all I needed was alcohol, cigarettes, and pot. For now. I sighed again, and let the blackness over come me yet again. The sweet blessed blackness.

* * *

_Bella POV _

The alarm clock next to me blared, and I sprang out of bed. I shut off the alarm, and practically skipped down the hall and to the bathroom. Today was the day my presentation was due. I loved presentation day. I could get up in front of the class and speak my mind about a subject that I was passionate about, and not look stupid. Well, there were a few times that I managed to make a complete ass out of myself, but that wasn't going to happen today. I was going to get an A on this project, just like I had gotten an A on all of my other projects. I finished my shower, and spent the next ten minutes trying to decide what to wear. Black skirt with blouse, or khakis with a nice sweater? So many options, so little time to choose. I eventually picked the black skirt with the blouse combo, and made my way down the stairs to eat a good breakfast. I didn't want to be distracted during my presentation. I scarfed down a bowl of oatmeal, snatched my backpack from the table, and carefully made my way across the puddles to my car. I started the engine, and Mozart came on. I smiled, and started to hum along. Nothing could possibly go wrong today.

I walked into my classroom about five minutes before the bell rang. I was the first one up, so I wanted to be prepared and waiting for the class while they came filing in. I was practically beaming and dancing around the room I was so excited. My teacher noticed my enthusiasm, and couldn't help but smile back at me. All too soon the bell rang, and my peers started to come in. I got a few dirty looks, but that was to be expected by the slackers of the class. I grinned, and motioned for everyone to hurry up and get seated.

"All right, as you know we are doing our history presentation on the Renaissance. I chose to do my presentation on Botticelli, and his many masterpieces of art, one of which is the renowned The Birth of Venus. This painting is a mark of humanism, of which Botticelli was a strong believer of. You see, during this particular period in the Renaissance, most people believed that you had to suffer in this life on Earth, in order to live in peace in Heaven. Well, Botticelli, as well as many other famous artists and literay masters, did not see it this way at all. They believed that…"I was interrupted rather rudely by the slam of the door. I turned, glaring at the person who dared to interrupt my presentation. I frowned as I saw who it was. My teacher stood, and rushed over to the intruder's side.

"Jasper, please, take a seat. How many times have I warned you not to come late to class? We've already started presentations," the teacher scolded. Jasper pulled a face at the teacher's retreating back, which got a few giggles from the class. I crossed my arms and stomped my foot impatiently. Jasper grinned, glad that he was the center of attention of the moment, but doubled over in an extreme fit of coughing. It sounded like his lungs were about to come up. Alarmed, I took a tentative step forward to see if he was going to die right then and there, or if he was going to be okay to make it through the class. Just as quickly as it started, it ended.

Jasper raised his hand in apology to me, and sat back down, wincing and rubbing his temples as he did so. I glared at him again. What was with this insufferable child? He was everything that I detested in a man. Lazy, self-centered, a jock, and most of all, an under achiever. He was so arrogant and pig headed that I wish he would drive himself off a cliff one of these days. The world would be better off without him anyway. And, it appeared that he was hung over again.

It was no secret on campus that Jasper was a big time drinker, smoker, and pot head. I even heard rumors that as a freshman, he had gotten severely addicted to heroin, and that he had almost died in rehab because of the severity of his withdrawal symptoms. I looked around the classroom and noticed that they were all staring at me expectantly. I tore my eyes away from Jasper in disgust, and continued on with my presentation of Botticelli.

* * *

_Jasper POV _

Get me out of here now. I can't stand another minute of Bella's insanely annoying high pitched voice. It was like murder on my ears. In fact, I had to keep checking my ears to make sure that they weren't actually bleeding. I rubbed my eyes, trying not to fall asleep. But it was really hard. Bella kept on prattling on and on about some dead artist dude that no one in the class cared about. History was my least favorite subject. I slouched down in my chair, trying to keep my pounding headache to a minimum. Boy did I have a doozy of a hangover. And not to mention that coughing fit I had in the beginning of class. Note to self-really try to stop smoking. I leaned my head back, and closed my eyes. As much as I tried to force myself awake, there were just some things in this world that would put me to sleep no matter what was going on. And one of those things included Bella.

God I couldn't stand that chick. She was always looking down on people, as if she was better than them because she was the police Chief's daughter and that she was probably going to go to Yale or Harvard after high school. Yeah, so what? Not all of us can be that smart. She was such a nerd. She never went to any football games, never went to any school functions. She probably won't even go to prom this year, not that any sane guy would ask her. She was such a kill joy. Bella finally wrapped up her presentation, and I was jerked awake by the sudden clapping noise of the classroom. I glanced at the clock and groaned. She had only managed to take up about fifteen minutes of the period. A few more people went by, and each presentation was more boring than the last. Sadly, we still had ten minutes left when it was my turn.

"Jasper. Could you please tell the class who you chose to cover?" I growled and rose to my feet. I slowly walked to the front of the classroom. I paused and looked at my classmates. A couple of the guys had goofy grins, because they all knew that I hadn't a clue as to what we were even covering in the class. I looked at my teacher and shrugged.

"Pass," I said, and sauntered back to my seat. The teacher frowned, but motioned up the next person all the same. The bell rang about halfway through their presentation. I got up and was the first person out of the classroom.

"Jasper!" my teacher called out. I groaned, and walked back inside. Bella was still in there, standing next to the teacher's desk, her face grim. She glanced at me with pure disgust and disdain. What? I didn't reek that bad did I? I sniffed my shirt experimentally. It wasn't too bad smelling. I paused in front of my teacher.

"What?" I snapped testily. I was a depressed, pissed off dude with a nasty hangover. I did not want to deal with people at the moment. My teacher sighed and folded his hands over his desk.

"Jasper, if you don't get your act together, you're going to fail your junior year. You don't want to be held back a grade, do you?" I shrugged nonchalantly.

"Since when did you show in interest in what happens to me? You've already written me off as a hopeless fuck up, so why the sudden interest now?" I snapped. Bella's face tightened at my use of language, but I ignored the bitchy glares she was giving me. What the fuck was she still doing here anyway? Didn't she have some advanced class to go to?

"I was hoping that maybe if you had a tutor, you still might be able to pass history this semester, and not have to repeat it," my teacher explained slowly. I frowned.

"A tutor? Who would be willing to tutor me…" my voice trailed off as realization set in. I glanced at Bella, and she forced a smile. I shook my head furiously.

"Oh no. No way in fucking hell will I be tutored by Isabella Swan, queen priss of our grade. Maybe when pigs fly," I yelled. She grimaced.

"You fly?" she asked sweetly. I glared at her, and my teacher stood up, putting a hand on ym shoulder.

"Jasper, you have to do this. Don't and you fail and have to stay here another year while all of your friends graduate. I'm sure you don't want to be here any longer than necessary, am I right?" he whispered in my ear furiously. I bit my lower lip in concentration. Sadly, he was right.

"Isn't there anyone else? Anyone at all?" I pleaded. My teacher shook his head.

"It's either Bella or no one Mr. Cullen. You choose." I swallowed the distasteful lump in my throat as I glanced over at her. She was looking down at her shoes. I sighed in defeat.

"Fine. She can tutor me. But don't expect me to be getting any A's. The most I'll probably get is a D. It's all I'm capable of," I muttered. My teacher frowned, and pulled me away a bit further so that Bella couldn't hear.

"How's therapy going Jasper? Are you starting to make any headway?"

"How did you know about that?" I hissed. He shrugged.

"It's on your file." I swore under my breath. If he knew about the therapy, what else did he fucking know about my life? All of a sudden I noticed how extremely close he was to me. I blanched, and quickly scurried out of his reach. I backed towards the door.

"Thanks. But I should really be going now." I turned and ran out of the room before I had another panic attack. I ran down the hall and into the boys bathroom. I sped into one of the stalls, and locked it. He touched me. His hand was on my shoulder. Any closer and he could have…I choked at the last thought. I bit down on my lower lip hard. My hands were shaking, my entire body was shaking. Unbidden memories came flooding to the surface.

* * *

"_Jasper…Jasper," a soft voice crooned. Jasper cowered behind his closed door, afraid to open it. He knew what was going to happen. _

"_Please, just leave me alone," he cried out. The soft voice on the other side chuckled malevolently. _

"_Jasper, you were a bad boy today. And for that you have to be punished. Now open the damn door Jasper. NOW!" the voice screamed, and suddenly a body slammed into the door. Jasper was thrown back, and the flimsy lock on the door broke. The speaker walked into the room and glared at the bedraggled teenager cowering before him. The speaker spat on him, and Jasper couldn't help the whimper that found it's way out of his throat. _

"_Please," he whispered, his voice deep and husky. He gulped. He didn't want to talk any more than he had too. It was his damn voice that got him in this mess in the first place. _

"_Please, don't hurt me." The speaker frowned, and knelt down on his knees before Jasper. _

"_Why would I hurt you? You're going to get what you deserve Jasper. Come here. Let me show you what you did wrong tonight." Pain ripped through his body, and he couldn't help the screams that were wrenched out of his throat.

* * *

_

My head shot up and my eyes flew open as I tried to shake the memory. Tears were streaming down my face, and I was vaguely aware that I was sobbing quietly into my fist. I gulped, sucking in some much needed air. I wiped my arms on my sleeves, and fumbled around in my pocket for my cigarettes. I found them, managed to shake one out, and lit it. I puffed hungrily, eager for the nicotine to take effect and soothe me. I felt the familiar buzz, and I sighed in relief. It was over. Just don't think about it again. I pressed my forehead against the stall.

"Breathe. Just breathe. Everything's fine. Everything's fine," I whispered to myself as my body continued to rock back and forth.

* * *

**A/N- So what do you guys think? I would be very happy if you would leave me some reviews giving your opinion. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

I stood to my feet, and pressed my hand to my heart, willing the wild beating to slow down. I walked out of the stall, and over to the sink, splashing some cold water onto my face. I gripped the sides of the sink, and stared at my pale gaunt face in the mirror. God I was a mess. I heard the door open, and saw I saw James and his cronies walk in. I straightened, and turned around to face them. James kicked the bathroom door shut. One of his pals barricaded it shut with a heavy metal waste can that was in the corner. James grinned, cracked his knuckles, walked towards me slowly. I ran a hand through my hair, and stuffed my hands in my pockets. I idly fingered the pocket knife that I kept on me at all times. James walked behind me, and placed his hands on my shoulders. He leaned down so that I could feel his breath tickling my ear.

"Well, well boys. It looks like Jasper here has finally summoned the courage to show his face around here," James snarled. His buddies chuckled. I turned my head, and glared at James. He snarled, spun me around, and slammed me into the wall. I groaned as the stone made contact with the back of my head. James pinned my hands to my side, and I was unable to reach my knife.

"What the fuck do you want James?" James nodded at his friend Laurent, who came up and immediately punched me in the stomach. I grunted, and doubled over in pain. James grabbed a fistful of my hair, and wrenched my head up.

"You cost us the fucking state championship because you were too busy drinking to play football!" James yelled in my ear. I grimaced as Laurent punched me again, this time in the ribs. I gasped, and James let go of me. He kicked me in the stomach, and I rolled onto my back.

"That fucking pass was way over my head James! If you would learn how to fucking throw a goddamn football, we would have won that game!" I yelled back, rising shakily to my feet. James glared, and shoved my back into the wall. I stumbled backwards, and slid down, losing my footing.

"That pass was beautiful Cullen. You were just too fucking drunk to catch it," he whispered quietly. He drew back his foot to kick me again. I saw that swing, and caught his foot. I lifted my head, and glared at him.

"This isn't my fault douche bag," I growled, and I twisted his ankle, hard. I heard bone snap, and he screamed, and fell to the ground. I leapt to my feet, and pushed past the others, and to the door. James was still rolling on the ground, screaming and crying like a baby. I smiled back at him.

"Have fun playing on that foot next season buddy!" I said, tipping my head to him. I shouted, and ran out into the hallway. I shut the door, but it did little to muffle James' screams. I ran down the hallway, and collided with Bella. She squeaked, and fell to the ground, with me on top of her. She screamed, and pushed me off of her. I rolled onto my side, and she sprang to her feet, accidently kicking me in the side of the ribs as she went. I bit back a scream. Fuck, James must have broken a rib. Bella was on her hands and knees, and she looked back at me, worry creasing her face.

"Are you okay?" she asked, tucking her hair behind her ear. By now, teachers were starting to run into the boys bathroom. James was still screaming like a baby. I hissed, and tried to sit up, but the violent pain in my side prevented me from doing so. I gasped and fell back down. Bella scrambled over to my side, and looked at all of the teachers running around, and all of the students pressed against the classroom door windows, anxious to get a glimpse of all of the commotion.

"Jasper, are you alright? Did I hurt you?" she asked again. I shook my head.

"No, no I'm fine. Really. I just have to go home, and I'll be okay," I whispered, trying once again to sit up. I yelled, and laid back down, my breathing labored. Bella, her face flustered, lightly traced her hands down my sides. I was clutching my right side, and she gently pried my hand away. I snatched her hand, and glared at her.

"I'm fine. Stop trying to be nice okay?" I hissed. Taken aback, Bella nodded. I looked up and saw James limping out of the bathroom. He saw me and glared. I glared back at him. The teacher saw our stare down, and asked James something. James shook his head, and the teacher helped him walk by me. James glared at me as he passed by.

"What, you're not going to tattle on me?" I whispered. James shook his head.

"Hell no. I'm gonna kick your ass. And I'm going to do it when no one's around," he whispered back. I watched him go to the nurse's office, and chuckled. Bella looked at me, astonished.

"What was that about?" she asked. I looked at her.

"Why are you still here?" I asked her, lurching to my feet. I swayed, and Bella grabbed my arm, steadying me. I shook her off.

"Look. I didn't ask you to tutor me. You don't have to. I'm not going to count for community service hours you know," I said, stalking past her on my way to the front lobby. Bella followed me.

"Jasper, I'm just trying to help you," she said, running in front of me. I stopped and stared at her.

"Why?" She looked confused.

"Why what?" I sighed, and rolled my eyes.

"Why, are you so eager to help me? Are you doing it so that it'll look good on your college application? Are you doing it for extra credit?" I asked. Bella looked down at her feet.

"Well, kind of for both," she said meekly. I stared at her.

"You have got to be kidding me." I shook my head and shouldered past her, walking past the receptionist with out signing out. Bella ran after me.

"Jasper, please. Just let me help you. You don't want to be held back do you? I can help you pass history," she pleaded. I swirled around.

"Look. Find some other charity case to help okay? I don't need you. I don't need anyone," I spat, and walked out of the school building.

_Bella POV _

I stared after Jasper's retreating back, and shook my head. Why was he so resistant to the charity of other's? I was just trying to help him pass history class. It wasn't like I was organizing a food drive to feed him or something. I crossed my arms, and walked back to my classroom. The rest of the day passed in a blur. All I could think about was Jasper. He needed help. And not just with school work. He needed help fixing his entire life. The last bell rang, and I ran up to my best friend Alice, who just so happened to be dating Jasper's brother, Edward.

"Alice! Boy have I got a plan for us," I said, my face practically beaming. Alice looked at me.

"What is it Bella?" she asked, her face lighting up in a smile. I smiled at her mischievously.

"You know Edward's brother, Jasper?" Alice nodded. "Well, I think I can turn him from a bad boy jock into a handsome, elegant young man," I finished. Alice's mouth dropped. She bit her bottom lip.

"Bella, that's impossible. There's no way that you'll be able to change him. He's just…well he's just a messed up individual. You guys are opposites. It'll never work." I shook my head.

"You're wrong Alice. I think this whole bad boy act is just that; and act. Just wait. I can change him. And I'll start by getting him an A in history. I'm his tutor you know. I mean, look at the possibilities Alice! He might even graduate, and be able to go to college! Oh, I have such high hopes for him," I squealed. Alice smiled, and shook her head.

"Alright. You really think you can change him?" I nodded. She sighed, and watched as Edward walked towards her.

"Then you're going to need some help, aren't you? Edward is Jasper's brother. He knows Jasper better than anyone. The three of us will work together to change him, okay?" I contemplated this, but shook my head.

"No, Alice. It has to just be me. I don't think he likes his brother very much, and he already hates that he has to be tutored by me. If he senses what I'm up to, he'll shut down completely. And I can't have that. It has to be me, and only me. I can do this on my own," I said with reassurance. Alice looked at me, and sighed.

"Well, then I wish you the best of luck Bella. But if you can't change him by the time prom comes around, I would just give up." I nodded in agreement.

"Fine. I have until March. It's December now. Okay. I can do this," I told myself. I crossed my arms, and walked to my locker. I was going to turn Jasper Cullen into a whole new man.


	3. Chapter 3

I stumbled out into the parking lot, my breathing coming in heavy gasps. _Holy shit did James get me good_ I thought as I fumbled with my car keys. As I attempted to place the key into the lock with my trembling hand, all I could think about was how lucky I was that I decided not to take my motorcycle today. That would have been a bitch riding home. After much jabbing and muttered curses, I finally got the damn key into the lock and was able to open the car door. I cautiously pulled myself into the driver's seat and closed the door behind me. I started the car, and just sat there, breathing heavily. _I should probably go to the emergency room,_ I thought. No. Dad would kill me if I went there and he didn't know about it. So instead I gritted my teeth against the searing pain in my side and put my car into gear, and proceeded to drive home.

The drive home was a long and painful one. In order to try and better distract myself from feeling the pain, I turned on my stereo and proceeded to blast heavy metal from my car. I was driving through the middle of Rich-Folk Suburbia, so of course I was getting death glares at every red light I was at. But I didn't give a fuck about what these rich ass snobs thought of me, or my taste in music. I'm never going to see them again, so let them think whatever the hell they want. I pressed on the gas and shot through the intersection, eager to get away from the looks and back to my house.

A couple of minutes later, I finally pulled into my driveway. I grimaced and groaned as I forced my broken and battered body out of the car. I hobbled awkwardly up the porch steps, and pounded on the door, too weak and tired to try to find my house keys. Eventually, the door opened and I was staring into my older brother's dark brown eyes. At first the usual look of irritation crossed his face, but then Edward noticed how I was standing and clutching my side for dear life, and actually treated me like a decent human being.

"Holy shit Jasper, what happened to you?" he asked. I swallowed through the pain and did my best to sound calm.

"Well, uh, I got into a fight at school. I think I may have broken a rib or two. But it's all good. You should see the other guy," I said, trying to make light of the situation. When everything boiled down, I was still Edward's little brother. And even though I absolutely despised living in his shadows, I can honestly say that he's always been there for me when I needed him. This time wasn't any different.

Edward swore under his breath, and gently placed my arm around his shoulder. He was careful not to stretch my body too far, lest he further my injury. He helped me hobble into the house, and half carried, half dragged me to the living room where he helped me lay down on the couch. I let out a huge breath of relief as some of the pain eased upon laying down. Edward ran upstairs to get our father, Carlisle. About thirty seconds later, my dad came rushing into the living room. He knelt by the side of the couch, and gently placed his hand on my heated forehead.

"Jasper? How bad is the pain? Can you walk? Can you breathe ok? Does it hurt when I apply pressure?" he asked, the worry in his voice increasing gradually. I nodded and pushed myself into a sitting position.

"Dad, relax. I'm fine, really. It hurts, of course, but I don't think it's anything serious. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine," I said, in the vain attempt to get him to leave me alone. My dad shook his head furiously.

"Of course you aren't fine. I'm taking you to the emergency room and we're getting you some X-rays right away. It sounds just like you bruised your ribs, but I want to check and make sure that they aren't broken," he said, gesturing quickly to Edward to pull the car around front. I feebly attempted to push my dad's worried hands off of me. If I went to the hospital, I wouldn't be able to smoke for hours.

"Dad, really, I'm…I'm ok," I said, my voice catching in the middle of that statement. My dad looked at me knowingly.

"You can stop trying to put on a brave face, ok? There's nothing wrong with admitting you're in pain," he whispered into my ear. I bit my lip in frustration. _So how come I can never come to you with any of my problems?_ _How are you so oblivious?_ But, like usual, I swallowed the words before they were able to come out of my mouth. Edward popped back into the room to indicate that he was ready to take me to the hospital. My father wasn't able to come because of some business call he had to take later on in the evening. I shrugged as my father tried to help me to my feet.

"Dad, I'm fine. I can walk by myself," I snapped angrily. For just the briefest of seconds, I could see the hurt look in his eyes. But as soon as it came, it was gone. My dad nodded briskly at me and my brother, and walked upstairs, back to his office. I rolled my eyes at his theatrics, and followed Edward to the car.

Edward and I drove to the hospital in absolute silence. He didn't want to take me, and I didn't want to have to sit next to him for the 20 minute drive. In an attempt to break the awkward silence, I reached forward to turn on the radio. Edward grabbed my hand and flung it back into the seat.

"What the fuck is your problem?" I snarled. Edward glanced over at me briefly.

"What the fuck is your problem?" he shot back. I stared at him. He sighed, and continued. "Who the hell did you get into a fight with? Was it James again? Laurent? Both of the them? Jesus Jasper, how many times do I have to fucking tell you to use your goddamn brain? You couldn't have rotted it completely away." I was so tempted to punch in him the face, but if I did that then the car would crash.

"Look, why the hell are you so interested in my life all of a sudden? Why the hell do you care what happens to me? Just leave me the hell alone, ok?" I snapped back, too tired to think of something more hurtful to say to the prick. Edward gripped the steering wheel tightly.

"I don't know what happened to you Jasper. I really don't. You were the star player of the football team just a year ago. You got straight A's. You were widely popular. You had an amazing girlfriend. You had a full football scholarship to the University of Seattle. And you just threw it all away. And for what? A few beers? Some cigarettes? A few blunts? I just don't understand what happened to you," Edward sighed. I stared out the windshield. I didn't even want to humor him with a response. But I did anyway.

"Funny how you never took any interest in my life until I started fucking it up, huh? As soon as that happened, as soon as I became the disappointment I was meant to become, all of a sudden you wanted to be the good older brother. Fuck you Edward. I don't need your help. So you can stop with the fucking charade. You can stop pretending that you care," I spat. Edward slowly pulled the car to stop in front of the hospital. He turned off the car and faced towards me.

"You know full well that I care about you. You're my little brother. How could I not care about you?" he asked. I scoffed at the pretend sincerity.

"Like I said, you can stop the charade. No one's watching." And with that I pulled myself out of the car and dragged myself into the hospital to receive treatment for my physical ailments.

**Author's note- **So I know it's been a while since I've last updated...I'm so very sorry. But, I hope that this new chapter helps to draw you all back into the story. Review, and let me know what you thought, as well as any plot questions you want me to address later on. Please keep in mind that this is simply a work in progress, as I have not worked out all the kinks yet. Let me know what you thought!


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